


Girls Who Wear Glasses

by GingerTodgers



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, F/F, Rare Pairings, Spies & Secret Agents, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-06 22:10:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14657244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GingerTodgers/pseuds/GingerTodgers
Summary: Minerva wants to join the Muggle War Effort, Rolanda is the spy assigned to show her the ropes.





	Girls Who Wear Glasses

The cat didn’t seem to mind the hustle and bustle of Edinburgh Waverley Train Station, although it did flinch slightly as Rolanda Hooch squatted down next to it.

“Hullo.” She murmured, shifting her hand to scratch under the cat’s chin. The movement tilted the cat’s head, giving Rolanda a better view of the markings around its eyes. “Well look at that, almost looks like you’ve got glasses, very pretty.” The cat purred, pushing its head into Rolanda’s hand. “You know what they say.” Rolanda continued. “No one makes passes at girls who wear glasses, but shall I tell you a secret? Hmm?” She bent closer, feeling rather silly but in no hurry to leave. “I quite like glasses.”

The cat did not look particularly impressed and so, with a sigh, Rolanda stood and brushed at her stolen trousers. Ed, her older brother, had threatened to skin her alive if he caught her wearing his clothes again. The smuts from the train were common enough, cat hair, however, would give the game away. Ed knew Rolanda’s weakness for cats.

A gust of warm air greeted Rolanda as she pushed her way into the train station tea shop. Condensation streaked the windows, curling the corners of the receipts fluttering above the till. Most of the tables were empty, no sign of the person Rolanda was supposed to be meeting. Rather than take a seat and risk expiring before she got her tea, Rolanda ordered at the counter. A pot of tea and a couple of buns. The waitress gave Rolanda’s trousers a pointed look, made a show of choosing the smallest buns from under the glass dome.

Turning away, Rolanda was surprised to see a tall, skinny woman sitting at the table closest to the stove. Small tortoiseshell glasses perched at the end of the woman’s rather red nose and a long green umbrella with a silver handle marked her out at Rolanda’s contact. Still, best to check. Taking a moment to remind herself of the code phrases Gladys had given her, Rolanda took a deep breath and marched across the room.

“Sorry to trouble you,” she said. “Don’t suppose you have the time? I’m on the 4.15 out of Edinburgh and-”

“4.15s already left.” The waitress had followed Rolanda across the cafe, carrying the boiling pot of tea and skittish buns.

“Right, er…” Rolanda’s mind was blank. Now that she was standing closer she could see that the woman was much younger than she’d seemed across the room. She also looked rather cross. Some of her hair had come loose and was falling across her left ear. “Er…”

“You still have time.” The woman spoke her code perfectly, a soft Scottish accent doing nothing to hide her clear exasperation. “I’m on the 4.15 as well, we can sit together.”

“It’s half past five.” The waitress snapped, banging down the crockery and muttering about “foolishness” as she marched off.

“Well. That didn’t go very well,” said Rolanda, collapsing into the spare chair. “Can’t stand all this cloak and dagger business.”

“Are things usually this disorganised?”

“Er, a bit. I’m Rolanda.” Rolanda held out her hand.

“Minerva.” The woman, Minerva, gave Rolanda’s hand a quick shake, an intriguing blush spreading across her face.

“Righto. Thanks awfully for coming to meet me.” Rolanda watched with interest as Minerva discreetly transfigured her own ticket stub into a small teacup. “So, you’re interested in joining the War Effort?”

“Yes. My late husband’s family were Muggles and I believe Richard would not want me to stand by while…”.

“While the Wizengamot let them kill each other?” Rolanda nodded. “You’ve come to the right people. We’ve got to keep it hush hush so nothing too flashy.” She nodded meaningfully to Minerva’s cup. “What else can you do?”

“Mrs Zabini didn’t tell you?”

“Gladys? Not really. Just said that you were a bit special. Worth the trip.”

“I see.” Minerva put down her cup, returned Rolanda’s smile. “Could I trouble you for a  _ Notice-Me-Not _ charm?”

“Alright.” Rolanda pulled out her wand. There was no sign of the waitress and the cafe windows were steamed up but she still put some welly into the charm. Something about Minerva made her want to show off. Just a bit.

Finishing the charm, she turned back to Minerva, only to find herself looking at a rather familiar cat.

“What the…?”

With a full body shake, the cat transformed back into the tall, skinny woman with the flyaway hair. Hair that was flyaway because Rolanda had spent a good few minutes running her fingers through it. Oh.

“Do you think particular talent will be of any use to you?” Minerva asked, an innocent expression on her face and a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.


End file.
